Category Archives: Lexus Cars

Lexus LC 500 Named a Best Driver’s Car. Motor Trend recently released its list of Best Driver’s Cars and named the Lexus LC 500 to its lists. When the model debuted at the Detroit Auto Show we originally reported, “The V8 will most likely carry over unchanged, but Lexus is expected to use a 10-speed Aisin gearbox, which would be a first for a production car. The hybrid, meanwhile, should be a significant performance upgrade over the GS 450h, making a combined output of more than 450 horsepower. If that’s not enough power for you, Lexus has also apparently hinted that an F-version is coming. It’s rumored to be powered by a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 making around 600 horsepower.” Check out what the experts have to say below:

“Despite the isolation, it’s surprisingly fast and very difficult to upset with Trac/VSC off (when on, it’s maddening). It does have the most understeer of any of the vehicles on 198, but like a good BMW, at least the understeer is clear and distinct. Lexus hasn’t tried to mask it with weird EPS or rear steer inputs.” – Ed Loh

“Most shocking. I was expecting nothing. In fact, I argued against even bringing the LC 500 along because it’s just so big and heavy. I was wrong. Folks, we have an athlete on our hands. It’s a bit heavy, sure, but the fundamentals are all there. Gorgeous sounds from the V-8, a gearbox that loves shifting, reflexes that hide the size, and fairly stout brakes. Great body control, too. Not a car you’d think you can push, but— surprise!—you totally can. Amazing job, Lexus.” – Jonny Lieberman

“How can this car have 10 gears and never ever be in the right one? There were at least a dozen rejected requests for a downshift, so I had to learn to slow the car on the brakes before requesting a downshift. On the way up it was fourth gear almost all the time, which doesn’t give it any snap. The soundtrack is good, but the response is not there. I’m not a fan of the rear-steer. There were several corners where I didn’t know where the steering was going to point me. The brakes were fine, except not a lot of feel through the pedal, similarly not a lot of feel through the steering with a tendency for understeer that just doesn’t say sports car but grand tourer.” – Chris Walton

“The exhaust notes on the LC are intoxicating and so unexpected coming out of a Lexus that you check the rear mirror to make sure that a race car is not coming up behind you. The engine sound builds; you hear it ratchet up with each gearshift with an almost unnatural precision. But the highlight is the amazing downshift burbles. I am a sucker for a downshift burble. It makes me go weak in the knees.

It doesn’t carry the speed as well, and I found myself gripping the steering wheel and trying to muscle it while also braking more than I should entering the corners, which contributed to a disjointed drive—ironic coming from Lexus, the king of the smooth ride.” – Alisa Priddle

“Part of the driving experience is tailoring all the vehicle settings to your liking. Whoever designed the infotainment system should be stripped naked, covered in honey, and tied to the top of an anthill. Everything is buried under layers of menus, and the only way to access it is by using a hilariously inaccurate touchpad. It took me five minutes to figure out the seat coolers on the first day, and it stayed on throughout the week of testing because it was too much of an effort to turn it back off. Good luck changing channels on the satellite radio.” – Derek Powell

RANDY SAYS

“Mostly I was waiting on understeer. Then by the time I could finally get to some power it was much nicer. I like the steering, I thought it was really accurate, reasonably quick, and I thought it was a fun car on track except for that entry understeer. It was like this one characteristic that just doesn’t fit right. Go into the corner, and it was just, ‘Ah! I want to go that way.’ Then, on power, it’s beautiful, and it was a really fun car to drift on my cooldown. Even though it doesn’t want to turn under hot-lap driving, it’s really easy to drift it if you’re not.

“It was beautiful, smooth car accelerating, and you hear that engine note and go ‘Wow, where is that coming from?’ I look around to see who’s coming by, and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s me.’ I just love that.

“Even in Sport+ mode, it’s still a little soft on the racetrack. Damping is pretty soft. I actually think the spring bars are in a really good place, and I kept pushing Lexus on that, too. I consulted on that car three and a half times, and every time I told them it’s too soft, too soft, too soft.

“The brakes are very reactive—you get a lot. So they don’t need an aggressive application. Don’t be stabby. I did once, and it just wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t making the brake gs that I knew it was capable of. So from then on I would just, you know, apply the pedal gently, and then it stopped great. Stopped really well for a street tire.”

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New Lexus LS Sedan Making Global Debut at 2017 NAIAS. The all-new, fifth-generation LS flagship will debut at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The event takes place from January 8-22nd. According to the website, “last January, the 2016 NAIAS featured 61 vehicle introductions, a majority of which were worldwide debuts. News coming out of NAIAS is heard across the globe as more than 5,000 journalists from 60 different countries annually attend to cover the latest and greatest happenings our industry has to offer.”

Lexus’s history with the NAIAS in Detroit goes all the way back to 1989, where the LS 400 made automotive history “by offering the drive performance, quietness, and luxury that consumers expected from a premium vehicle, but its unveiling also heralded the birth of the Lexus brand.” Now 28 years later, Lexus is ready to debut their flagship vehicle on an all-new global architecture for luxury vehicles (GA-L). Now Lexus has become known for its luxurious and reliable vehicles and, with five models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader.

The New Lexus LC Coupe is Finally Here! We’ve been excitedly awaiting the launch of the Lexus LC Coupe and we’ve shared a variety of posts about the new model, including a cool video, the first customizable LC 500, and the premiere of the Lexus LC 500h. Lexus describes the launch of the new LC performance coupe as “a significant illustration of Lexus’ dedication to create cars with exciting, emotional designs and exhilarating performance.”

Five years after debuting the LF-LC concept at the Detroit Auto Show, Lexus has finally delivered an uncompromising vehicle that is one of the most highly anticipated sports vehicles to enter the market. A visually striking coupe that is also a hybrid? The Lexus LC accomplishes this feat easily, but the standard 5.0-liter V8 engine, also marks a first in the premium car segment with its new Direct Shift 10-speed automatic transmission, featuring gear ratios spaced to achieve smooth, linear and rhythmical acceleration.

This exhilarating new model is the first Lexus model to be constructed on the all-new Lexus ‘Global Architecture- Luxury’ platform which allows for a low center of gravity and detailed management of inertia specifications. It also has a strong and rigid body with the highest torsional stiffness of any Lexus model to date. The hybrid model is the first to utilize the new Multi Stage Hybrid System, which allows for enhance torque and acceleration performance.

This beautiful model is also extremely safe coming standardly equipped with the Lexus Safety System + which includes the Pre-Collision System, All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Intelligent High Beam. The correct use of the Lexus Safety System+ can help reduce the risk of an accident, alerts the driver to potential hazards and can help reduce the consequences should an impact be unavoidable

One of the most significant advancements is that the Lexus Safety System+, which includes Pre-Collision System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist, Intelligent High Beam (IHB) and High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, comes standard. For the RX 450h model, the Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Auto Braking will also come standard along with the Scout GPS Link (also standard on the RX 35o)

This model year will introduce the 2017 Lexus RX 350 FWD and the Lexus RX F SPORT, an expansion of Lexus’s F SPORT performance line. The new 2017 Lexus RX F SPORT will come in an exclusive Rioja Red color, with additional F SPORT branding. In keeping with the luxurious interior styling the Lexus RX is known for, available interior trims for the new 2017 Lexus RX include: Matte Bamboo, Espresso Walnut, Matte Linear Dark Mocha Wood, Striated Black Trim, and Gray Sapele Wood with Aluminum. The fourth generation RX 350 also boasts it’s most powerful V6 engine to date with a 295 hp and 268 lb.-ft. of torque for a more powerful sports feel. The 2017 Lexus RX hybrid offers an impressive 30 mpg with its “D4-S injection 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine with two high-torque electric drive motor-generators for strong acceleration and passing performance.”

New Lexus ES 350 Adds Advanced Technology as a standard feature. The 2017 Lexus ES 350 will come in two different models– the standard with front-wheel drive traction and the IS, which is sportier and focused more on performance. A 268-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine and smooth six-speed automatic transmission are the standard engine specs. The Scout GPS Link will also come standard with the Display Audio system and, through the connected smartphone app, provide navigation maps and turn-by-turn directions on the main display screen. Other standard equipment includes 10-way adjustable power front seats; automatic climate control; NuLuxe perforated upholstery with Illustrious Piano Black trim; a power tilt-and-slide moonroof; power-adjustable outside mirrors with turn signals and defoggers; remote-linked power window and moonroof opening and Lexus Personalized Settings to customize select electronic functions.

The Lexus Safety System+ package, which includes driver assistance services like the Pre-Collision System (PCS), Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with Steering Assist, Intelligent High Beam (IHB) and High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, will come standard for the 2017 Lexus ES 350. The High-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control works at speeds over 25 mph, tracking the speed of the vehicle traveling ahead and adjusting the speed accordingly. The Pre-Collision system works using a combination of millimeter-wave radar and a front-facing camera that can detect pedestrians or warn the driver of a possible collision, initiating automatic braking if needed. The Lane Departure Alert, with steering assist enabled, can help the vehicle stay in the center of the lane and will convey audio-visual alerts and vibrate the steering wheel if the driver deviates. The Intelligent High Beams registers oncoming headlights and the taillights ahead and immediately adjusts for high- and low-beam illumination. The available Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) helps detect vehicles in side blind spots and alert the driver to rear cross traffic when backing out of a parking space.

This week’s Lexus news comes from the Goodwood Festival of Speed where the Lexus LFA proved it is a true supercar in a video by TheTFJJ. The Lexus LFA, the only V10 ever made by Lexus, first came out in 2012 and impressed with its loud engine that only produces 553 horsepower and carbon fiber body. According to autoevolution, the Lexus development team originally wanted to create the body out of aluminum, but that proved too heavy and had to be changed to carbon fiber. This carbon fiber body is one of the main reasons that the Lexus LFA comes in at around $350,000. This price ultimately led to the Lexus LFA production being ceased after two years, but Lexus has plans for its next sports car the LC 500!

Experts at caranddriver discuss the Lexus LFA saying, “Although the car is extravagantly expensive, Lexus says it will lose money on every one. We believe it. The last car that incorporated a similar level of technology, performance, and exclusivity was the $650,000 Ferrari Enzo. At $350,000, the LFA begins to look like something of a bargain. The LFA is an exotic, two-place, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe. The chassis and body are made largely of carbon-fiber composite, just like those of an Enzo or a Mercedes SLR McLaren. Per Lexus’s scales, the car weighs 3263 pounds—less than a Corvette ZR1.”

Lexus is gearing up for the launch of the new LC 500 sports car and has released this exquisite video to highlight the roar of the engine and beautiful exterior design. QED Productions brought the Spanish Sierra Nevada to life using three or four of the world’s brightest projector screens and surprisingly, no CGI. Check out the beautiful video below:

The Lexus LC is set to be released in the beginning of 2017 for the US and later in the year for Europe. Koji Sato, deputy chief engineer on the LC, spoke to Andrew English of Autoblog earlier this year and had this to say about the new engineering, “What I am most happy with is the precision of the steering and the way the yaw builds up. There’s still a gap between where we are and where we want to be, and the rear steering requires work, but we are getting our own ‘taste’ into the car. It’s not a BMW and not Jaguar, but ours.”

Recently, the 2016 Lexus RX 450h, was named the 2016 Green Vehicle of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association. Lexus received the award at the Texas Auto Roundup which took place May 1-3 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The event allowed more than 60 journalists to test drive and evaluate the vehicles in 16 event categories. Jeff Bracken, Lexus group vice president and general manager said about the award, “We are grateful to receive this award from such a respected group of auto writers. To win in Texas is a great honor for Lexus and the new RX. We know the mid-sized luxury SUV segment is extremely competitive, which is why the new RX is completely reimagined to reflect a product philosophy that is engaging to look at and dynamic to drive. The results speak for themselves.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) set an automotive industry wide target for all auto manufacturers to include Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) as standard equipment by 2022. Lexus has decided to offer the Lexus Safety System +™ standard on nearly all its models by the end of 2017, four years ahead of the requirement. The Lexus Safety System +™ was originally designed to help address three driver assistance areas: preventing or mitigating frontal collisions – including pedestrians; helping keep drivers within their lane; and enhancing road safety during nighttime driving.

Right now, model-specific target dates for offering these packages as standard equipment will be announced closer to the deadline. The Lexus GX will not offer the system as standard by the end of 2017. The Lexus Safety System +™ is composed of four key components: PCS (Pre-Collision System), LDA (Lane Departure Alert), AHB (Automatic High Beam), and the DRCC (Dynamic Radar Cruise Control). The PCS uses millimeter-wave radar and a camera to detect pedestrians and under certain conditions, vehicles. The system works by activating an audio and visual alert as well as brake assist which is automated should the driver not brake quickly enough. The LDA uses a camera to detect the white and yellow lane markings and alerts the driver of departure with an audio-visual alert and steering wheel vibration. The Automatic High Beam system aids drivers in nighttime driving without blinding other drivers. The DRCC helps drivers by automatically adjusting cruise control when other vehicles are detected at a certain distance.

Lexus debuted the new 2017 Lexus IS at the Beijing Autoshow this week sporting a new look cosmetically. The key updates are a more aggressive-looking grille (which features a three-dimensional F-mesh pattern with jet-black metallic coating and functional brake ducts), new wheel designs, new headlights, more pronounced LED taillights, and new rectangular chrome exhaust tips. Inside, the infotainment screen has been increased by about 3 inches and features a more intuitive user interface with enter buttons that have been added to the sides of the Remote touch interface. Lexus has also added more options to the design with two new exterior colors– Deep Blue Mica and Graphite Black Glass Flake– and a new interior color called Chateau.

The powertrain is the same as the 2016 model, but the safety equipment has been upgraded with the Lexus Safety System + and includes a pre-collision system, lane-departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beam headlights and radar cruise control. Unfortunately, Lexus has no plans to release a hybrid version; however, the 2017 Lexus IS 200t version will feature a 241-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can also select a 255-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine or a 306-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine.